Sneaky fermentation, no airlock activity

[franknbrews]

This has never happened to me before so thought I would share for the beginners.

I made a brown ale in a 5 gallon bucket, 1.050 original gravity. I woke up the next morning, less than 8 hours after pitching the rehydrated Nottingham dry yeast and there was nothing happening in the airlock. Not a single bubble.

3 days later, I have never seen a bubble in the airlock so I start freaking out. I go buy some more yeast just in case.

I decide to open the bucket and see that grimey layer around the top, indicating the rise and fall of krausen. Gravity reads 1.012.

Apparently this beer fermented in my sleep! It looks and tastes healthy.

 

[bucketnative]

Your bucket doesn't seal well. No problem. I have a couple of buckets that do that. No real worries.

 

[franknbrews]

Ah, the seal, I never thought of that! Do you think it's okay to continue using bucket with weak seal?

 

[C-Rider]

Ah, the seal, I never thought of that! Do you think it's okay to continue using bucket with weak seal?

Not a problem.

 

[RM-MN]

While your yeast is actively fermenting it produces at tremendous amount of CO2, some of which remains dissolved in the beer. This dissolved CO2 will begin to outgas when the fermentation slows and will continue for weeks, getting slower as time goes on. As long as there is some CO2 being outgassed, no bacteria can get in through a small leak as bacteria are known to be poor swimmers and their wings are too small to fly well against a current.